St. Pierre getting shot at No. 2 QB

FLAGSTAFF - Quarterback Brian St. Pierre is in his seventh NFL camp, but this is the first time he's competed for anything other than the No. 3 job.

"It's been fun getting reps, competing and it's gone really well for me so far," St. Pierre said of competing with Matt Leinart.It's a little refreshing going into my seventh year to finally get a shot."

Starter Kurt Warner has been a No. 3 quarterback and seen plenty of others in his 12 NFL seasons, so he knows what a third-team quarterback looks like. And it's not St. Pierre.

"A lot of times when you have a guy that maybe has been a career backup . . . you can always see why," Warner said. "They might do two or three good things, and then they do two or three bad things. The one thing about Brian is you don't see that at all. There are just not a lot of weaknesses there."

Significant absences

Two backup defensive ends have suffered injuries in the past few days and could miss significant time.

Keilen Dykes has a strained right quadriceps and will miss more than a few days of practice, coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

"I don't know the timeline for when he'll be back," Whisenhunt said. "We'll see how it reacts."

Dykes was on the second team behind Calais Campbell.

Jason Banks was diagnosed with a meniscus tear in his knee and most likely will need surgery, Whisenhunt said.

Banks was placed on injured reserve and the Cardinals signed rookie free agent Alex Field, a 6-foot-7 defensive end who played at Virginia and was recently released by the New York Giants.

Ticket reminder

Individual game tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., exclusively through Ticketmaster.

The "Protect the Nest" plans for the Vikings and Packers games went on sale last week. To buy tickets to the Vikings game, fans also have to purchase tickets to the Chargers preseason game and the Houston regular-season game.

To buy tickets to the Packers regular-season game, fans have to purchase tickets to the Chargers and Packers preseason games.

Beginning Saturday morning, fans can purchase on-line at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, or at participating Arizona Ticketmaster ticket centers.

A Saturday crowd

The Cardinals are expecting a record crowd Saturday for their annual Red and White practice, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. on the fields east of the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome on the NAU campus.

An autograph session for kids 12 and under will be held in the Skydome prior to practice, from 10:45 to 11:05. Doors open at 9 a.m.

NAU has established a special parking plan. Fans coming from the Valley should take the McConnell exit off I-17, then turn right at the stop sign and proceed to Pine Knoll. Make a right on Pine Knoll and parking will be on the right. Shuttle service to the field will provided every five to 10 minutes.

Cardinals profile

ANTHONY BECHT

Position: Tight end.

Height, weight: 6-6, 270.

Age: Turns 32 on Saturday.

Experience: 10th year.

College: West Virginia.

Hometown: Drexel Hill, Pa.

Background: Drafted by the Jets in the first round in 2000, he played five seasons for New York before moving on to Tampa Bay and then St. Louis. He was released by the Rams this off-season. He missed the first two games as a rookie with a knee injury but has appeared in 142 consecutive games since, the longest streak on the Cardinals roster.

How he got here: Signed to a one-year contract in March.

2009 projected role: He's in a tight competition for a job with three others: Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick and Dominique Byrd. Becht has missed the last few days of practice with a hamstring injury. The Cardinals are hoping Becht can give them a powerful blocking tight end, something they've lacked for a few years.

Camping out

Camp confidential: Not many people know much about defensive lineman Keilen Dykes, who spent last season on the practice squad. But Dykes impressed coaches in the off-season and was backing up Calais Campbell at right end. Dykes suffered a quadriceps strain that could cause him to miss significant time. It's a blow to the Cardinals, who aren't deep at defensive end, especially with Jason Banks being placed on injured reserve on Thursday.

Quote of the day: "Those are the games we need to get away from, just be steady Freddy and be consistent."

- OLB Clark Haggans on the team getting blown out in some games last year.

Coming up: Two practices Friday: 9:05-10:30 a.m. and 3:05-5:05 p.m. on the fields just east of the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome. If it rains, the team will go inside. For the latest practice information, consult www.azcardinals.com or call 602-379-1714, or in Flagstaff at 928-523-2273.